NAACP Criticizes Overstock.Com Founder

[Kulturkampf]

This is what happens when you say rational things with phraseology that advocacy groups do not agree with:

SALT LAKE CITY — The founder of Overstock.com rejected the NAACP's demand for an apology Friday after an Internet video surfaced of him saying that Utah minorities who don't graduate from high school might as well be burned or thrown away.
Patrick Byrne's comments were posted on YouTube. The video clip was from a debate two weeks ago in Provo, where he was speaking in favor of vouchers, public aid for families sending kids to private schools.
A statewide voucher program that would grant $500 to $3,000 per child based on family income is on the Utah ballot Nov. 6.
On the YouTube video clip, Byrne says: "Right now, 40 percent of Utah minorities are not graduating from high school. You may as well burn those kids. That's the end of their life. That's the end of their ability to achieve in this society if they do not get a high school education. You might as, just throw the kids away."
Byrne has made similar remarks in other debates. He said Friday he had no intention of apologizing and claimed his comments were taken out of context.
"These folks have been selective in their editing," Byrne told The Associated Press. "I very clearly said the system is throwing away 40 percent of the minority kids because they're not graduating. I'm saying that I'm against throwing kids away.
"People against vouchers are in favor of throwing the kids away," Byrne said.

Fox

Basically, a man is being lambasted by having his words taken out of the original context (and put into a far more shocking one) for embracing a generally conservative agenda. The position which he is advocating is not extreme nor wrong as the NAACP hopes to portray.
More liberal media on a rampage by vocalizing the views of an irrelevant organ of leftism.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

Dude, he said black people might as well be burned. I know what he was trying to say, but he did say that, right?

Someone in his position should be a little smarter than that.

[Kulturkampf]

He said that once these people do not have an education they might as well be burned, being that they are out of the system and beyond repair. He is trying to put forward a policy concerning putting minorities into better schools.

You have to be wanting to be offended to be offended by the words.

[Emu]

Didn't he say 'minorities?' Why not burn the white kids, too? They're just as worthless.

[Kulturkampf]

... It is because 40% of minorities in the state are not getting highschool diplomas, which he highlights as a tremendous problem being that if one does not acheive this you are 'burned' and might as well be 'thrown away.'

[KevinTheOmnivore]

Ok, we get it...WE UNDERSTAND THAT HE WASN'T LITERALLY TALKING ABOUT BURNING PEOPLE.

But it was still a stupid thing to say.

[Kulturkampf]

Well, here is a question: what do we expect from people who speak for a living? They will fuck up once in a while.

Here is a question, Kevin, do you think the NAACP is justified in this assertion?

[Miss Modular]

I hope this turns into another thread about BASEBALL!

[Kulturkampf]

I hope it turns into a thread about how Miss Modular always adds meaningfully to a thread.

[mburbank]

Kultureclub, I can't really be bothered to read past your ridiculous made up word 'phraseology', but I did want to congratulate you and your liver on still being alive. That's good old Amerikan spirit!

Are you still in the army, or have you gotten that dishonorable face tattoo discharge you were working on? If your term of service is up, I hear Blackwater pays better than the army and they're looking for guys with just your qualifications!

[Kulturkampf]

I'm still in for another sixteen months. I am waiting it out. I think I might go to college in Korea after this or go get a job in China; maybe go back to America. Who knows?

[mburbank]

Well, it's good you've got a plan. That way you won't end up some drunk, unemployed drifter far from home.

[Kulturkampf]

If I am down on my luck, drunk and far from home... Will you give me a hand with the charitable heart of liberalism?

[mburbank]

Seriously? I almost certainly would, but you'd have to be closer to home. I am, among other things, a unitarian. One of the core values is the inherent life of every human being, yours inlcuded.

I'm not inclined to wire you money, but if you were within reach (like the folks at my local mission) of course I would lend you a hand in whatever way I could. My hope would be that the experience would dull the edge of your collosal arrogance, but my help wouldn't be dependent on it.

Get yourself stuck in Korea and you'll have to hook yourself up with some organization I've worked with. Try Operation Troop Support, we work with them all the time.